Reel



C. l. EARLL Jan. 2, 1934.

REEL

Filed Oct. 19. 1931 INVENTOR. r9

Patented Jan. 2, 1934 PATENT OFFICE.

- REEL Y Charles I. Earll, York, Pa. Y Application October 19, 1931. Serial No. 569,658

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in a reel for paying out and retracting a flexible cord or rope such as a clothes line. 'Ihe object of my invention is to provide a reel in which a spring actuated drum mounted in a suitable support is adapted unimpeded by other mechanism to pay out and retract the rope with a relatively light tension and in which means is provided for tightening the rope by mechanism mounted on the support and connected with the drum only by the rope when the tightening means is in operation, and in which when the rope is made taut the tension of the rope is not imposed upon the drum whereby the drum may be made of lighter and cheaper construction.

My invention consists in providing a suitable support or case in which the drum is rotatably mounted, in providing a spring or springs in a closed chamber within the drum adapted to rotate the drum, in providing a rotatable member, preferably a shaft whose axis is parallel to the axis of the drum supported in bearings secured to the case in front of and near the opening through which the rope passes and in providing means by which the rope may be secured to the shaft and wound up thereon when the shaft is rotated, and locked against turning in an unwinding direction so long as it is desired to maintain a relatively high tension on the rope and in so constructing the rope engaging means that the rope is automatically disengaged therefrom when the shaft is unlocked and the rope unwound therefrom.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification Fig. 1 is a partial section through the axis of the drum. Fig. 2 is an end view.

Numerals 1 and 2 represent respectively the two parts of the case which are preferably formed of sheet metal. Within the case is the hollow shaft 3 having its ends plugged to form a reservoir for oil and having the hub 4 secured to one end. The hub 4 is journaled in the part 1 of the case and extends inwardly to engage the 45 spring 5 in the spring case 6 and it is provided with a flange 7 recessed to engage the end of the pawl 8 secured to the case 1 so that when the hub is turned in the direction to wind up the spring the pawl 8 may be engaged with the 50 ange to hold the same. The other end of the shaft is journaled in the case part 2. The shaft is normally at rest and is only turned when it is desired to Wind up the spring. The spring case 6 is composed of two parts separated by the partition plate 9 and contains the spring 10 in addition to the spring 5. The outer ends of both springs are engaged to the spring case and the inner end of the spring 10 engages the hub l1 which is secured to the flange 12 of the a drum 13. The shaft 14 is mounted in the mem- 60 bers l5 and 16 which members are secured to the case. It is provided with a button or projection 17, and a ratchet 18, and crank 19. A pawl 20, pivoted to the support 16, is adapted to engage the ratchet 18. When the rope 21 is 65 withdrawn from the drum it passes under the shaft 14 and may be carried to any suitable support and fastened thereon or, as is commonly the case, it may be passed over sheaves located on a number of different supports and its end l0 secured. It will then be under the relatively light tension produced by the springs 5 and 10. To tighten the rope the rope is passed over the button 17 and the crank 19 is operated to wind g up the rope on the shaft. It will be noted that for every revolution of the shaft 14 the rope makes two turns around the shaft. I have used the expressions wind up and wound up to mean continuous winding in which the num- T ber of convolutions increase with the number o-f turns of the thing on which the Winding is made, to differentiate from the manner in which a belt is wound over a pulley, a rope around a pair of rope wheels in a rope drive or around a capstan, in all of which cases the rope winds and unwinds simultaneously and does not increase the number of convolutions. Its frictional resistance to slipping upon the shaft therefore increases very quickly to a point where it is sufcient to hold the rope and draw it tight. As the rope is wound up upon the shaft the part leading to the drum is opposed by the light tension of the springs 5 and 10. With three revolutions of the shaft a tension of over forty times the tension produced by the drum springs may be imposed upon the extended portion of the line without causing it to slip upon the shaft. When it is desired to release the tension on the line preparatory to having the line drawn in by the drum, the pawl 20 is lifted out of en- 100' gagement with the ratchet 18 and the line is permitted to unwind from the shaft from which it disengages automatically when the unwinding is completed. 'I'he line is then ready to be drawn into the reel as soon as its end is released.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. 'I'he combination with a spring actuated drum adapted to pay out and retract a rope, j and a case in which said drum is rotatably 110 mounted, of a rotatable member supported by said case, said drum being rotatable independently of said rotatable member, means for securing the rope thereto to cause it to Wind up thereon when said rotatable member is rotated.

2. The combination with a spring actuated drum adapted to pay out and retract a rope, and a case in which said drum is rotatably mounted, of a rotatable member supported by said case, means on said rotatable member for'securing the rope thereto to cause it to 'Wind up thereon when said rotatable member is rotated in one direction and to be automatically released therefrom when rotated in the opposite direction and means for holding said rotatable member from rotating in an unwinding direction.

3. The combination with a spring actuated drum adapted to pay out and retract a rope,

and a case in which said drum is rotatably mounted enclosing said drum and having an opening for the passage of the rope, and supports from the sides of said case extending in front of and near said opening, a shaft rotatably mounted in bearings in said extensions, rope engaging and disengaging means on said shaft between said bearings and means for turning and locking said shaft.

4. The combination with a spring actuated drum adapted to pay out and retract a exible cord and a support in which said drum is rotatably mounted, of a shaft mounted on said support, a projection on said shaft adapted to be engaged by the flexible cord to cause the cord to Wind upon the shaft when the shaft is turned, and means for turning the shaft.

f CHARLES I. EARLL. 

